RU2526743C2 - Display adapted to access device with closed cover - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: physics, computer engineering.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to electronic devices. The device includes a first unit having a display; a second unit which is mechanically connected to the first unit, wherein the second unit has an opening on the display area which enables to view a smaller area of the display when the first and second units are in a closed position, wherein the opening on the display area includes a transparent touch screen having a top and a back side and touch-sensitive on both the top and the back side.

EFFECT: ensuring operation of the device in a closed position with lower power consumption, wherein the sensor region used is the same region for both the closed position and the open position.

13 cl, 6 dwg

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to electronic devices with closed covers and, in particular, to a device whose display can be accessed through a closed cover.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Embodiments of the invention are provided by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the accompanying drawings, in which reference numerals refer to like elements.

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of an electronic device with a cover in the open position, in accordance with some variants of implementation.

Figure 2 shows the device of figure 1 with a partially closed portion of the lid, in accordance with some variants of implementation.

Figure 3 shows the device of figures 1 and 2 with the lid in the closed position in accordance with some variants of implementation.

Figure 4 presents a block diagram of a computing system corresponding to the device of figures 1-3 in accordance with some variants of implementation.

FIG. 5A shows the display of the device of FIGS. 1-3 in an open cover mode.

Fig. 5B shows the display of Fig. 5A, but when the device is in closed-cover mode.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In many electronic devices, a so-called “clam shell” configuration is used, as a result of which the main display, as well as user input mechanisms, such as keypads, touch panels, etc., are opened in the device with the “open lid” position . On the other hand, when the device is in the “closed cover” (folded) position, the display and user input mechanisms are usually in a protected, inaccessible (invisible) position, and the device’s power is also usually turned off. This applies, for example, to the case with many laptop computers, the so-called laptops and netbooks, as well as to some designs of a cell phone.

At the same time, for many users it would be convenient to be able to quickly and efficiently use their device in the closed position, without having to open it and apply power to it in the usual way. Accordingly, some modern designs include an additional (auxiliary) smaller display, usually located on the outer surface of the device when it is closed, so that the user does not need to open the lid to access information in the device, for example, like meeting information, email, instant messaging, etc. Unfortunately, such additional displays add to the cost, which makes them less competitive. In addition, for such secondary displays with a closed cover, it would also be desirable to provide a touch screen in conjunction with the display, which further increases the cost.

Thus, in some embodiments, disclosed are electronic devices with a clam shell design in which the main display can be used even when the device is in the closed position. In some embodiments, a window (a hole above a display area) may be provided in the device body so that the display area can be viewed when the cover is closed.

In some embodiments, the window may include a touch panel made of a transparent material so that the user can interact with the displayed area using the touch panel on its back side during operation with the cover closed, and also has the ability to use it from the top side in normal operation time with the lid open. Thus, the user may be able to conveniently view information from the device when the lid is closed, for example, when carrying the device or at any other time when it is not necessary to completely turn off the power to the system.

1-3, an electronic device 100 (a laptop computer in this embodiment) is shown with a display portion that can be accessed during the closed-cover mode. The laptop computer 100 is generally formed from the first and second housing parts 110, 120, respectively connected together with the possibility of rotation around the hinge axis. The first part, the upper part of the “clam shell” in this embodiment includes a display 115. The display screen 115 may be selected from one or more readily available display technologies, such as liquid crystal displays (liquid crystal displays), cathode ray tubes (CRT), plasma displays, displays with a phosphor based on the effect of electron emission with surface conductivity (SED) and an organic LED (OLED). Of course, alternative display technologies and / or display technologies that will be developed in the future can be used.

Some manufacturers have recently used OLED materials. OLED is a technology developed by Eastman Kodak Company of Rochester, N.Y. They are thin-film materials that emit light when excited by electric current. Because OLEDs emit light in different colors, they can be used to create displays without the need for a separate backlight. OLED displays are typically lightweight and can work effectively at relatively low voltages, thus consuming less power from the system. In some embodiments, the display 115 may be formed from an OLED display or a display that includes image elements (pixels) having individually controlled brightness.

The second part 120, the lower part of the “clam shell” in this embodiment, includes a display opening with a closed lid occupied in this embodiment by a transparent, two-sided touch panel 122. As can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the lower part may also include one or more keys (or buttons) 124 of an input control element for controlling and / or activating a device in a closed-cap mode. A typical construction of the bottom 120 includes an opening for a portion of the display, which may approximately be the size of the touch panel 122. In the illustrated embodiment, this opening is approximately 100 mm × 80 mm, but the opening for viewing a portion of the display in the closed-lid mode may have any appropriate shape or size, depending on specific design requirements.

In some embodiments, the touch panel is bi-directional so that it allows control by touching from both sides. When the cover is open and the user is in front of the display, the upper side of the touch panel can be used to interact with the computer. On the other hand, when the lid is closed, the user can use the back (or bottom) side of the touch panel to interact with a portion of the display that can be accessed through the transparent touch panel.

The touch panel (or touch screen), when it is double-sided, can be implemented using any appropriate transparent touch panel technology that provides the ability to control by touching on both sides. For example, the first and second transparent sheets of the touch panel can be connected together, the back side to the back side, so that their touch sensitive sides are facing outward in each direction. They may include a sheet of transparent material, such as glass or plastic, located between the sheets of the touch panel. On either or both sides of the touch screen, the touch screen can be configured to generate input / output (I / O) signals in response to tactile pressure at specific locations within the touch screen (for example, by touching a specific area of the touch screen, using stylus, finger, etc.). Alternatively, the touch screen may comprise a transparent (e.g. glass or plastic) panel having a touch sensitive surface. The touch screen can be selected from a variety of easily accessible touch screen technologies, for example, pressure sensitive (resistive), acoustically sensitive (surface waves), photosensitive (infrared) and electrically sensitive (e.g. capacitive) touch screens.

It should be noted that although embodiments have been described with display openings having transparent, two-sided touch screens, other embodiments may also be used. In some embodiments, a touch screen touch control can be used on one side only, or the touch screen may be omitted altogether. For example, the hole may be empty, or it may include a transparent material (eg, plastic) that closes the hole and does not allow dirt to enter. Alternatively, plastic or glass lenses may cover the hole. In other embodiments, a privacy filter may cover the opening so that the display will appear dark when viewed from an angle. In another embodiment, an opaque sliding cover may be used to protect the opening, providing both privacy and physical protection from scratches or damage.

4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a computer system that can be used in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. A computer system may include a central processing unit (CPU) or processor 402 and may be powered by an electrical outlet or battery. The CPU 402 can be connected to the chipset 410 via the connection 405. The CPU 402 can be manufactured, for example, by Intel Corporation of Santa Clara, Calif., Although it can also be manufactured by other companies. Connection 405 typically represents any data connection, such as one or more point-to-point connections containing multiple parallel tracks and / or one or more buses.

The chipset 410 may include a storage controller 412. A storage controller 412 may be coupled to a system storage 420 (e.g., random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), etc.). The system storage device 420 may comprise data and instruction sequences executed by the CPU 402 or any other processing devices included in the computer system. For example, in addition to the CPU 402, the computer system may include a secondary CPU or controller (not shown).

The chipset 410 may include a display controller 413. The display 115 may be connected to a display controller 413. The display controller 413 may be implemented separately or may be implemented with a graphics processing unit (GPX). As described below, the display controller 413 controls the display 115 and, among other things, can control it differently for several different operating modes. In some embodiments, it can be controlled to consume less energy when the lid is closed and limit the display of the display portion 115, which can be viewed through openings in the display portion.

The chipset 410 may also include a touch panel controller 414 connected to the touch panel 122. The touch panel controller 414 may be separate from or may form part of an I / O control unit and is used to interpret the touch stimulus on the touch screen 122, for example, on one or both sides of the screen, and computer control based on interpreted input stimuli. The computer system may include other peripheral input / output devices, including an audio device and a disk drive, which can also be connected to a chipset and / or CPU.

For wireless data transmission, an antenna (not shown) can also be connected to a wireless interface, which can also form part of a chipset. Although not shown, other devices (such as a keyboard, mouse, etc.) can also be connected to the chipset. A computer system may use a direct current (DC) power source, such as, for example, a battery. Alternatively, it can use an AC power source (AC), such as, for example, connecting to an electrical connector. A computer system can consume the most power when it is in normal power mode. It may consume less power when it is in low power mode (for example, in standby mode or in standby mode), or in a mode with the display lid closed, which may be important when using a DC power source.

It should be understood that for convenience, a separate CPU and blocks of chipsets are shown. However, in actual embodiments, the functions of the CPU and the chipset can be embodied in a single chip (such as when implementing an SOC type) or in several chips, and different functions can be performed by completely separate function blocks or in interaction with other blocks, or within any or both of the functional modules of the CPU and chipset. For example, in some embodiments, the storage device and / or display can be connected directly to the CPU. The CPU and chipset may include various additional ports and / or connections for communication with the presented blocks or other blocks that are not shown.

On figa and 5B, shows a full display and partial display, in the mode with the cover closed. Fig. 5A shows a computer in a mode with a full viewing area 505, while Fig. 5B shows a display with only a partial viewing area 510 to reduce power consumption in the closed-cover mode.

In some embodiments, during the closed-cover mode, only a portion of the display 115 is turned on (for example, using OLED technology) or backlit (for example, in the embodiments for LED or LCD).

The reduced display area 510 may have any suitable shape, size, and embodiment, although it should support viewing through openings in the display portion when the lid is closed. For example, the display 115 may have pixels whose brightness can be individually controlled. For one embodiment, the display controller 413 may include logic to limit the displayed information to only the display area 510 when the lid is closed. Information (or display content) can be limited or trimmed to fit a smaller display area using different technologies. For one embodiment, the contents of the display can be passed through the scaling logic in the display controller 413, which converts the pixels, by multiplying by a fraction and discarding any fractional values. For example, when the display controller 413 reduces the display area from full size to one sixteenth of the full size, each row and column can be multiplied by 0.25, and both row and column locations can be translated into corresponding rows and columns in reduced size access areas.

In another embodiment, the conversion may be performed using software, using, for example, a video driver and an operating system (OS), such that the display content can be reduced with little loss of readability. For example, an OS may have a “simple” mode, where a large number of graphic details are displayed on icons, toolbars, etc. can be eliminated to save space. The OS may have a completely new user interface mode, which can be switched to accommodate smaller display areas, as is commonly used in cell phones, PDAs, etc. The interface protocol between the display controller 413 and the display 115 (for example, the Low Voltage Differential Signaling (LVDS) interface) can also be improved to support such modes. For example, the display controller 413 can only transmit data for a fraction of the screen, and the display 115 can fill the rest of the areas with black (pixels off). Energy can be saved on the interface, also due to the fact that it is not required to transmit signals to a large number of black pixels. In the new default interface, all pixels can be switched to black unless data is transferred for a specific pixel.

The pixels associated with the display region 510 may be configured to emit light or turn on the light, and the pixels associated with the rest of the region may be configured so that they will not emit light or will be turned off.

In a typical embodiment, images of a portion of the display 510 may be provided in a normal orientation. In another embodiment, the image can be displayed upside down using standard software algorithms for flipping the image so that its right side is facing up and oriented correctly when the user holds the display oriented upside down while looking on it through the hole in the display area, on the back of the computer. In another embodiment, the image may be rotated clockwise / counterclockwise on the LCD using standard software algorithms. In some embodiments, the touch switch indicates whether the lid is closed, and may affect the mode in which warnings are provided.

In some embodiments, an indicator (eg, LED) may be part of a panel 124 to alert the user, for example, when a message is viewable. In some embodiments, one or more buttons may allow a user to view messages and / or navigate through them in a closed-lid mode. In some embodiments, the implementation of the speaker (speakers) may be located on one or more edges of the computer device so that it can be easily heard both with the lid closed and the lid open.

In the previous description, many specific details were presented. However, it should be understood that embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other circumstances, well-known circuits, structures, and technologies may not be shown in detail so as not to interfere with the understanding of the description. With this in mind, references to “one embodiment”, “embodiment”, “exemplary embodiment”, “various embodiments”, etc., denote an embodiment (s) of the invention described in such a way that they can be included in specific elements, structures or characteristics, but not necessarily each embodiment includes certain properties, structures or characteristics. In addition, some embodiments may have some, all, or none of the properties described for other embodiments.

For example, although mollusk-shell articulated devices have been described, generally other configurations may include aspects of the invention. For example, openings in a display portion can be embedded in cell phones with a sliding first and second part, whereby an open-lid mode occurs when the parts are slidably moved relative to each other, and a closed-lid mode can occur when they are slidably moved in a joint closed position.

In the previous description and in the following claims, the following terms should be considered as follows: the terms “connected” and “connected” together with their derivatives can be used. It should be understood that these terms are not synonymous with each other. Rather, in certain embodiments, “connected” is used to indicate that two or more elements are in direct physical or electrical contact with each other. “Connected” is used to indicate that two or more elements interact or act on each other, but they may or may not be in direct physical or electrical contact.

It should also be understood that in some of the drawings, the lines of the signal conductors are represented by lines. Some may be thicker to indicate more significant signaling paths, may have a number label to indicate the number of significant signal paths, and / or may have arrows at one or more ends to indicate the main direction of information flow. However, this should not be construed as limiting. Rather, such an added part can be used in conjunction with one or more exemplary embodiments in order to facilitate ease of understanding of the circuit. Any presented signal lines, with or without additional information, can actually contain one or more signals that can be sent in different directions and can be implemented using any appropriate type of signal transmission scheme, for example, digital or analog lines embodied with different pairs fiber optic lines and / or single-ended lines.

It should be understood that examples of sizes / models / values / ranges may be presented, although the present invention is not limited to this. As a manufacturing technology (e.g., photolithography) that has developed sufficiently over time, it is expected that smaller devices can be manufactured. In addition, well-known power / ground connections with IC crystals and other components may or may not be shown in the drawings for simplicity of illustration and description, and thus hide the invention. In addition, layouts in the form of a flowchart may be presented in order to avoid obscuring the invention, and also taking into account the fact that the specific details regarding embodiments of such flowchart layouts are highly platform dependent, which will be embodied by the present invention, that is, such specific details may well be within the horizons of a person skilled in the art. While specific details (e.g., diagrams) are provided to describe exemplary embodiments of the invention, it will be understood by one skilled in the art that the invention can be practiced without or with variations of these specific details. The description, therefore, should be considered as an illustration, not as a limitation.

Claims (13)

1. An electronic device containing:
a first unit having a display; and
a second unit mechanically connected to the first unit, the second unit having an opening in a display portion, allowing viewing a reduced display portion when the first and second blocks are in the closed position,
moreover, the hole in the display area includes a transparent touch screen having upper and rear sides and is sensitive to touch on both the upper and rear sides. 2. The electronic device according to claim 1, in which the first and second blocks form a portable personal computer. 3. The electronic device according to claim 2, in which the portable personal computer is a laptop computer. 4. The electronic device according to claim 1, in which the first and second blocks are part of a cell phone. 5. The electronic device according to claim 1, in which the first and second blocks are pivotally connected to each other. 6. The electronic device according to claim 1, in which the touch screen contains the first and second sheets of a transparent touch panel connected together by their rear sides. 7. The electronic device according to claim 6, in which a sheet of transparent material is inserted between the first and second sheets of the touch panel. 8. The electronic device according to claim 7, in which the inserted sheet of transparent material contains glass. 9. An electronic device containing:
an upper unit including a display; and
the lower block connected to the upper block in the configuration of the “clam shell”, and the lower block includes a hole in the display area, while in the open position the lower and upper blocks allow you to view the display, and in the closed position allow you to view only a reduced section of the display through the hole on the display portion, the opening on the display portion includes a transparent touch screen having upper and rear sides and sensitive to touch on both the upper and rear sides. 10. The electronic device according to claim 9, in which the touch screen comprises first and second sheets of a transparent touch panel connected together by its rear sides. 11. The electronic device of claim 10, in which a sheet of transparent material is inserted between the first and second sheets of the touch panel. 12. An electronic device containing:
a housing having a display that is not visible when the housing is in the closed position, except for a reduced portion of the display through an opening in the display portion, the opening in the display portion includes a transparent touch screen having upper and rear sides and is sensitive to touch like top and back. 13. The electronic device according to item 12, in which the touch screen contains the first and second sheets of a transparent touch panel connected together by its rear sides.

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